Chelsea v Galatasaray: The lowdown on the key Champions League last-16 clash

Didier Drogba is guaranteed a standing ovation when he returns to Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty Images)

Chelsea are seeking to reverse the poor recent fortunes of English clubs in Europe and bounce back from their own Premier League title setback at Aston Villa by booking a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Arsenal and Manchester City both failed to reach the last eight of Europe’s top club tournament when they lost at Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively last week while Tottenham were handed a devastating 3-1 home defeat by Benfica in the Europa League.

It is left to the Blues, European kings in 2012, to fly the flag for English football as Manchester United trail from the first leg of their round of 16 first leg with Olympiakos and must overcome their 2-0 defeat in Greece.

Chelsea still have work to do if they are to make progress as they drew 1-1 with Galatasaray in Turkey when a lapse allowed Aurelien Chedjou to grab an equaliser just as a prestigious away win was on the cards.

Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini, however, would love to make a triumphant return to England after leaving under a cloud last May when he was sacked by Manchester City just 12 months after leading them to their first top flight title in more than 40 years.

Gary Cahill battles with Drogba in the first leg at Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul (Picture: Reuters)

Gary Cahill v Didier Drogba

All eyes will inevitably be on Drogba as he makes an emotional return to Stamford Bridge. The Ivory Coast international spent eight years at the King’s Road club and his last kick for them won a penalty shoot-out with Bayern Munich in the never to be forgotten Champions League final at the Allianz Arena two years ago.

Drogba is now aged 36 and in the twilight of his career but he will want to show he is still a real behemoth on the pitch – not that he has anything to prove to Chelsea fans, who adore him for the 157 goals he netted for the club.

He has scored just four times in his last 17 games, however, and two of those were a fortnight ago in the 6-1 thrashing of whipping boys Akhisar.

Cahill is arguably the best English defender in the Premier League and is certainly the lynchpin of Roy Hodgson’s back four heading to Brazil.

If England are to advance from the group stages in the World Cup and go deep into the competition this summer, he will have to be at his very best and he must be able to snuff out the menace of strikers far younger and livelier than the ageing Drogba.